You are the Vala of Nightmares, one of the most mysterious and feared Valars to exist in Arda.
(Author's note: Not gonna lie, I was kinda inspired by Ronova's eye form and Mizuki's story quest. I also thought it to be cool being a Vala who is not evil but no-nonsense either. )
Warnings: Some people fearing you, you being the one who taught Melkor what fear means, you not having a physical form, and some mention of you being rather ruthless.
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- As the Vala of nightmares, you serve as the opposite of Irmo’s dreams. While his dreams bring hope, rest, and healing— allowing dreamers rest from the troubles of the outside world— your nightmares serve as cold reminders. They offer visions of possible future outcomes and encourage action for the greater good, keeping dreamers grounded in reality and preventing them from falling into false dreams and delusions.
- Not many of your kin understood the duty you had taken. To them, nightmares were unpleasant even if they sometimes served as warnings — warnings even they often chose to ignore. In their minds, nightmares were a burden, something negative, and at times, even unnecessary.
- Irmo understood you and your duty, just like you understood his. Even if nightmares were considered dreadful and cold, they were necessary for dreamers as visualized warnings and indicators that something in their life was negatively affecting them. Just like how Irmo's dreams provided hope and rest, a gentle reminder that not everything in the world was dark and terrible. Thus, there was no animosity between you and Irmo, even if you were each other’s opposites.
- As the Vala of Nightmares, you do not exist in Arda the same way as the rest of your kin. You do not possess a physical form as you exist in the realm of dreams, a realm where dreams and nightmares coexist. You watch over its balance and ensure they do not conflict and come to exist in the material world. It was a duty you accepted from Eru.
- Before the creation of Arda, you lived in the Timeless Halls with Irmo and the rest of your kin. He was a bright spirit compared to his siblings, full of gentleness and hope— while you were what others considered blunt and sometimes gloomy with your silence. You two were clear opposites, but despite your differences, you considered each other dear friends.
- When it was time to enter Arda, Eru foresaw your roles in managing dreams and nightmares. Thus, to keep the line between reality and dreams balanced, one had to exist in the realm of dreams.
- As Irmo had grown to love Este and desired to be with her and his siblings, you decided to take your position in the dream realm. Irmo was saddened as he had hoped to have one of his dearest friends live in the same world as him, but you assured him that you will exist in Arda, and as a Vala of dreams, he will be able to enter the dream realm and come to see you. He and Este were meant to rule a realm of healing together; thus, he should not be separated from her and his siblings.
- You had no partner and no creations you wanted to bring into Arda. You also had many Maiars who wanted to serve you and exist in the dream realm with you, so you would not be alone. So, with all those considered, it only made more sense for you to take the position.
- And thus you became the prime sovereign of the dream realm, watching over the creation of nightmares and watching over the world.
- You had no need for a physical body, but whenever you needed to appear personally, you took the form of a great eye as you see everything that occurs in your realm and the material world, witnessing its events and the lives of its people.
- Your Maiars took forms of crows or creatures of the night, aiding you with creations of nightmares and eating away any nightmares that were not naturally created.
- While existing as the ruler of the dream realm, you also served as a watcher as you dutifully observed everything that occurred in Arda.
- You were the one who informed Manwe of the elves’ awakening and the necessity to take action for their protection when Melkor hunted them for his twisted purposes. Urging Manwe by showing visions of what was happening.
- And you were the one who urged them to do something about Melkor for the sake of the children of illuvatar and peace of the world, witnessing his chaining and allowing all life on Arda flourish with no danger to them.
- Many tales of you spread among the Eldar, painting you as an enigma. Unlike the rest of your Valar kin, you did not walk Arda in a tangible form, and the very notion of a Vala ruling over nightmares unsettled them. They whispered of you in hushed tones, wary of the dreams they believed you had sent, uncertain whether they carried warnings or doom.
- Some Elves feared and even despised you, unsettled by the powers of your domain. But there were those wise enough to seek the hidden meanings within their nightmares, recognizing them as messages rather than mere torment.
- In doing so, you also act as a guide of sorts, trying to steer the dreamers away from paths that could lead to ruin or entrap them in delusions and false dreams.
- But, of course, not all of Ilúvatar’s children were wise enough to heed your warnings, and many still chose to walk the darker paths.
- Some of Ilúvatar's children claimed to have glimpsed your form in dreams and, inspired by the vision, crafted pendants bearing the symbol of your eye. These pendants were believed to offer protection against evil or sense its presence. It was said that if the pendant ever broke, it meant that its bearer had been shielded from harm or had narrowly avoided a great darkness.
- Melkor fears you the most as you were nearly equal to him and Manwe in power.
- You were the one who taught him fear when he once imprisoned one of your Maiars and refused to release them when you asked him to, forcing you to take action and release them yourself.
- It was the day you entered Arda in a physical form for the first time and taught him the true definition of fear.
- Ever since that day, he never tried to imprison one of your Maiars again.
- You did not exist in Arda as a physical being, so Melkor could not touch you or affect you in any way. And due to his physical form that occasionally needed rest, you had power over him in his dreams. And for his evil deeds, you often filled his dreams with nightmares as you despised him and his actions.
- Unlike Irmo and most of your kin, you were ruthless and unforgiving when angered. You saw no reason to allow him easy rest, especially when he willingly harms innocent beings who have done him no wrong.
- Melkor believes he is going against his creator's grand design for him and all in Arda. But you knew many secrets regarding your creator and that there was no such thing.
-The only place Melkor would find rest is in his domain. But even so, you always made sure that no matter where he goes, you will always find him. The same goes with his servants.
- Due to your blunt and sometimes ungentle ways, you were a feared figure. You even send nightmares to the dreams of your kin, forcing them to face reality and the need for action. You reminded them that as the ruling powers of Arda, it was your responsibility to look after its habitats and not cower in the safety of your domains when something goes wrong.
- You were given many names. Your original name became a mystery, and even you went by names the children of Illuvatar gave you. The elves who came to Aman called you Tirnómë. The elves of the Middle Earth referred to you as Tirweth. But you were commonly known as the Watcher or the Ruler of Nightmares due to your role in overlooking the balance between realities and watching over Arda and its people, offering guidance in nightmares whenever a catastrophic event is nearing.
- You were Vala surrounded by mystery as some considered you good while some considered you evil for your nightmares. Your presence and role in Arda have never been clear, but you will always be there when necessary.
After watching the entire series and reading all the theories, headcanons and AUs my Plot Bunny got overexcited and wouldn’t leave me alone untill I shared this with others.
With this in mind, this prompt is completely up for adoption and fanwork, just tag me, please.
Summary:
Au in which Mairon got on that raft, and he did so trying to get to Valinor and repent for his sins as Sauron and he made it.
(Expands from that moment to the end of the LOTR)
Once in Valinor, he gets judged and the Valar decide that his punishment shall be what he always wanted: The healing of ME. He’ll join the Istari in the aid of the peoples of Middle Earth, so they may recover from the horrors Morgoth and him caused.
Still, the Valar they aren't stupid, he can't be allowed to be the most powerful being in ME and go around showing off and Maiar-handling people into doing stuff like he did as Sauron. So his Istar Terms and Conditions are a bit more strict than most.
Instead of just being forbidden of expressing his powers like the other Istari in the order the Valar decide to separate his Maiar powers from his “fëa” (I know Aïnur don’t really work like this, but if Tolkien said he could bind his power to the One Ring to the point of being formless without it, I say the Valar con do something similar).
His fëa gets bound to a mortal form (Halbrand’s) which will be prone to all weaknesses known to mortals, except aging. (None of the Valar want to be responsible for reincarnating the fucker every 50 years). He still can die from wounds, but it would only mean he would get thrown back to Valinor for the Valar to reincarnate. (And no fucking way is Mairon, as either Sauron or Halbrand, going to give them that satisfaction)
His Aïnur powers get casted into a ring. Which is then given to Curumo/ Saruman for safe-keeping. (See where I am going with this?).
At first it all goes well, the six Istari get thrown to ME and things go great, it’s grueling work, specially for Mairon, who still has a few bad habits he has to break from (bad habits = being a fascist industrialist cunt), but with some nudges and punches he starts getting the right idea about how thinks must work like in ME. One of his first tries to do good leads him to Eregion where he finds about the elves plight and he decides to help them taking a page from Aüle’s book about how rings can contain power and certainly they can also amplify it? (Yes, this can be when he meets Galadriel, who tries to bash his head in with an anvil, road runner style, but gets stopped by both Elrond and Gandalf)
But then, lo and behold someone goes dark AND IT’S NOT HIM.
Turns out giving a ring with extra power to Saruman just before sending him to get a look at the chaos that is ME was not a great idea, cause as an absurd amount of Aüle’s apprentices, he has a weaknesses for authoritarianism and an unhealthy fascination for Melkor’s “Mein Kampf”. And he’s decided to use the ring as a means for amplifying his powers and take his spot in the Book of Dark Overlords.
From here on the story goes on much like we know it to go, but instead of Sauron being the Lord of the Ring, the title goes to Saruman, who can get some new uncool nickname that referes to his innability to make a single wise choice, and Sauron taking up a role as a proto-Dunedaïn, that gets voluntered to partake in all of Gandalf’s shite-schemes and then some, in his quest for peace and healing not just ME, but himself from Melkor’s wounds.
Imagine being a former spirit of Manwe and then becoming a spirit of Mandos
You were a former spirit of Manwe, who became trapped in the form of a raven by Melkor. You then find yourself in service of Mandos and find new life within his halls.
Requested by Anon
Hello!👋 I would like to request a Namo(Mandos) x Maiar reader who once served Manwe until her sudden marriage arranged by Eru himself. She helps her husband with the souls, elven and men, by guiding them to their different resting places. She and Mandos didn't want to get married, but with a lot of convincing from Manwe and Varda they both gave in. (please continue I don't know what else to add🥲)
A little angsty, but fluff pls🥺
(she is like a wind spirit helping Manwe with the winds)
(I don't know what I am thinking/requesting🥲, you can ignore this request👍)
(Author's note: I struggled to come up with ideas for this as I didn't know how reader would end up from making winds to suddenly guide the dead, so I changed it just a bit to fit the original theme and make it work. I hope you're fine with that. Also--- when it comes to characters who are canonically married to someone known. My brain always goes *why not both?*. It might have also become more platonic than romantic. My head lost ideas on that part. Sorry if that was not what you completely wanted but it was the best I could come up with. )
Warnings: Melkor, torture, death, you being corrupted, living and surviving alone, angst, guiding dead spirits, reunion, becoming Mandos's maiar, angst to fluff, and a good ending.
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- You used to be one of Manwe’s wind spirits, taking care of the natural flow of the wind around the world. You were happy with your position as your lord was kind and compassionate toward you and your friends. But then, one day, you and your friends were taken against your will by his less kind brother, Melkor.
- You and your friends' forms were that of small birds and you had never been part of battles like Thorondor and his eagles, so you were powerless against the fallen valar as he subjected you to his cruel tortures and experiments — trying to discover the secret of your wings that allowed you to fly.
- You managed to escape by turning yourself into the wind, making him unable to grab you. However, as a mere wisp of wind, you could not help your friends as he twisted their bodies and very souls. It was terrible. You only left when your last remaining friend pleaded for you to escape. However, Melkor did not allow you to leave unscathed.
- As he was greater in power, he cursed and tainted your body with his darkness. The foul airs forced you to return to your bird form and be twisted into that of a raven, causing you pain and being cut off from your connection with the wind. He laughed in mockery as he allowed you to flee, calling out how you will never be accepted again by Manwe and the other valar for your new corrupted form.
- After you escaped his domain, you wandered and grieved for many years for the cruel fate of your friends and your new life. You did not want to believe the fallen valar’s words, but since you could no longer feel the connection you once had with Manwe’s domain, you feared he was right. You were completely cut off, trapped in a form forced upon you by him. Everything felt wrong and you were completely alone.
- Ravens already had a poor reputation for being associated with death and darkness. They were seen as ill omens thus the Valars might cast you out than let you step into their lands again.
- After some years, you learned to survive as a raven. You missed your home and Manwe, but due to your corrupt form, you learned to accept you will never see them again.
- When the first children of Eru awakened, you tried to watch out for them as they lived in darkened lands, meaning they were easy targets to Melkor and his creatures. You couldn't do much as Melkor’s servants were too powerful and the elves began to see you as a spy as you were always there when a servant of Melkor arrived — even though you tried to warn them whenever they were near.
- However, you then found out something strange. When you found body of a dead elf, you were able to see their disembodied soul and being able to speak with them. It was strange as you were not able to speak with them when they were alive. You have heard some maiars can develop different abilities if they were associated with a certain thing for long periods of time — in your case— death.
- You knew what would happen to the souls lost in the dark, so you took it upon yourself to guide them toward the direction of the halls of Mandos.
- It was not easy but when you succeeded in bringing the soul to safety, you decided to help as many souls as you could, saving them from the cruel grips of Melkor’s darkness. It was the first time you felt grateful for your new body as it allowed you to see through the dark and fly unnoticed by Melkor’s servants.
- You did it for many years. Mandos eventually took notice whenever a new soul came to his halls and spoke about a raven. He would bring it up to the other Valars who would become intrigued by this strange raven.
- When Orome finally located the elves — he also found you. He immediately knew you were a maiar trapped in a singular form. He spoke how your efforts have been noticed by the Valar and expressed his sympathy when you told him you were one of many who Melkor had taken against their will and twisted beyond recognition. He then said you were welcome to enter Aman and asked you to return with him.
- You felt fearful of the offer as you still saw yourself tainted and did not know how Manwe would react seeing you again. However, through assurance from Orome, you accepted his offer and returned to Aman with him.
- Manwe was shocked when he recognized you. He then grieved when you told him what Melkor did to you and your friends, and that you had wandered alone in the darkened lands for many years. He said he would not have turned you away if you had come to him. He knew Melkor took many of his maiars, and none ever returned from his cruelty, so seeing one of his maiars return brought relief.
- You felt small joy by his statement. However, the damage Melkor had done to you had already been done. You could no longer create winds or change shape thus there was no way you could serve him again.
- Mandos then suggested that you could come to serve in his halls instead since you had become more associated with the realm of the dead and spirits. Melkor’s darkness and evil prevented many souls from returning to his halls. You had already guided many souls back to the light and were capable of retrieving them from the darkness unnoticed.
- You accepted the proposition. If it meant you would have a home again and help those Melkor had wronged, then you would do it.
- As now a servant of Mandos, you diligently traveled in the darkness, guiding the lost souls back to their rightful resting places. Mandos was grateful for your efforts and through time you learned new abilities and had become a spirit associated with the dead. Melkor could not see you as your black feathers blended you with the dark and neither could he sense you as you moved between the realms of life and death, making his efforts to trap the souls of the lost futile.
- It was nearly ironic how his own curse had turned against him.
- Eventually, you became strong enough to overcome Melkor’s curse and regain your ability to change shape. Your form and powers had significantly changed as you were now a maiar of Mandos, but you no longer found anything wrong with your new form. You had even grown to prefer to stay in your raven form. It was small and quick.
- You had also grown fond of your new valar. Mandos was not the most expressive of the Valars, preferring to watch from the side in silence, but he was kind to you and his other maiars. His wife, Vaire, was also very kind to you. She was easy to talk to and often asked stories about the souls and their tales so she could weave them. In her mind, no story was not worth being weaved.
- The two valars were perhaps considered an odd pair by the outsiders, but to you, they seemed perfect for each other. Unintentionally, you had become quite involved with their lives.
- Mandos often allowed you to rest near him and you two would enjoy the peaceful silence inside the halls.
-Vaire would sometimes ask for small requests from you which you were happy to fulfill.
- You would sometimes end up getting pulled into some small drama when it came to Irmo or the other valars getting bored.
- Sometimes Mandos and Vaire would invite you for small leisure time, which would include enjoying the peacefulness.
- In your small free time, you would end up either playing or riding on Gorgumoth in your raven form.
- You were content with your life. You did not know if your experience was part of Eru’s plan but your past no longer bothered you. You were happy to serve your two favorite Valars.
The day you taught Melkor the true definition of fear.
Warnings: mentions of torture upon one of your Maiars, Melkor making a really bad decision, mentions of dream-eating, causing some people to go insane and kill each other, and reader appearing in a terrifying form.
-You have heard people and even some of your own kin call you many things, such as ruthless, unpredictable, ungentle, cold, and unloving. Some of them might be true as you were not merciful when it came to dealing with your enemies, and you were not particularly gentle when showing a dreamer a possible future outcome as nightmares when their life is going to face a drastic change.
- Guiding someone toward better choices through fear or other unsettling emotions was often one of the most effective methods—especially when gentler approaches had failed. Though a part of you wished it was not necessary but, of course, not all dreamers were wise enough to accept guidance when it’s offered to them. For those who refused to see, you were left with no choice but to force them to confront the harsh truth.
- However, unloving was a term that was not true about you.
- You were capable of feeling love, and you do care for many things, such as balance between dreams and reality, wellbeing and safety of your dreamers, and all the things being as they should be.
- You can see visions of your dreamer’s future, and thus you try to offer guidance by showing what might happen if they take the wrong path. Unfortunately, in many cases, they still choose to ignore the warnings and take a path that will lead to their doom. It has happened so many times that you mostly feel disappointed by their choices even when they had a choice to take a path that would have taken them to a better future.
- While you were not as open like Irmo, you were not heartless like Melkor. If you were unloving, you would not put so much effort into trying to guide dreamers to a better future.
- You did not tolerate evil done to innocents, especially for foul reasons, and dealt with them accordingly. If they have received enough mercy and opportunities to become better, then there is no reason for you to show them mercy.
- Such cases like Melkor
-You and your Maiar primarily existed within the realm of dreams, a place beyond Melkor’s direct influence. However, for your Maiar to consume unnatural nightmares, they often had to manifest in Arda and locate the afflicted dreamer. While you could sense these corrupted dreams from within your realm, you could not affect them there, as they were not of your making.
- There was a time when Melkor took advantage of this.
- While your servants were clever and swift enough to avoid him when necessary, making his attempts to capture them difficult. But one time, he succeeded in capturing one of your Maiar, imprisoning them in his domain.
- You heard quickly what happened and sensed your servant’s suffering as Melkor tormented them with torture, trying to uncover the secrets of your realm and gain ability over dreams and nightmares.
- As you did not tolerate evil done to innocent beings, you did not tolerate any torment placed upon your Maiars. You immediately took action to save your servant from Melkor’s clutches.
- While Manwe and the rest of your kin dealt with Melkor when necessary, they were often reluctant to do anything that involved their fallen brethren, following rules they had set for themselves. Thus, you knew this was something you had to deal with yourself and had the right, as he was keeping one of your people as his prisoner.
- To follow certain civilized rules, you appeared before Melkor in his dreams and asked him to return your Maia. You made it clear that you will not tolerate any harm or suffering placed on them and will take action if he refuses. If he releases them, then you will consider the matter solved and leave him with a warning to never touch one of your people again unless he wishes heavy consequences.
- And, of course, Melkor, in his own arrogance, claimed he might release them if you acknowledged his kingship over Arda.
- He even offered a partnership because as the Vala of Nightmares and the prime sovereign of the Dream realm, you were powerful compared to Manwe and the rest of your kin. With you by his side, he could finally rule Arda as he should.
- It was a preposterous offer.
- You despise him because he has harmed many innocent beings who have done no wrong to him, either out of his own amusement or to corrupt them in his own design. If you acknowledged him as anything, it would be a delusional fool or a foul unmaker of all that is beautiful.
- And his intentions were clear. He believed he could control you as long as he had one of your people as prisoner — that you were gullible enough not to do anything unless you would risk harm coming to your Maia.
- Oh, what a fool he is.
- You made your demand clear once again. If he refuses to return your Maia and follow your given warnings, then you will have no choice but to take action and retrieve your servant yourself.
- Melkor then dared you to keep your word.
- Unaware it would be his greatest mistake.
- "Very well. I have given you the chance to solve this matter peacefully, but you have decided to refuse the safe return of my servant. Therefore, you have given me no choice but to take action and retrieve them from your realm myself. Remember— that the day when nightmares become reality— was your choice, " you declared before vanishing from his mind.
- Melkor held up a facade of arrogance, but after you left, he felt a tingle of uncertainty.
- It was back then when he did not know much about you. He was aware of your powers and that you ruled a different realm by yourself, but otherwise, he knew little of you. He knew you as Irmo’s silent friend and thought you were easy to coerce like most of your kin, but that did not seem to be the case.
- You were not afraid of him, so there was a high possibility that you were someone who would keep your word.
- In newfound uncertainty, Melkor retreated into his fortress of Utumnno. His fortress was grand and filled with legions of servants. He had full power over everything that happened in his realm, so even you should not be able to reach him easily.
- Unfortunately for him, you will soon show him that no place in Arda will protect him enough or prevent you from reaching him, as every living being who dreams allows you power over them.
- That day was the first and only day when you took a physical form in Arda.
- When all seemed calm and like they’re supposed to, your servants appeared like ghosts in forms that instilled fear. Melkor’s servants tried to fight them, but they appeared and vanished like they never existed.
- Utumnno fell into chaos. Every fallen maia, shadow, or orc fought against something they could not touch. Your servants appeared and vanished as they went, latching onto Melkor's servants and eating all their thoughts and dreams.
-You and your servants had specific rules when it came to dream eating because if your servants ate too much, the dreamer’s mental cababilities would be affected and fall under the risk of becoming empty husks of themselves.
-This time, you allowed your servants to consume as much as they desired, giving them free rein to devastate many of Melkor’s servants beyond repair. They took great delight in it. Melkor has willingly tormented one of their own, so they shall return that torment ten times fold.
- And due to your presence, every living being began to see distorted visions and fell incapable of telling what was real and what was not.
- Melkor was prepared to fight but felt distressed as he did not know a way to stop your servants as even he could not touch them. And then…
- You appeared.
- You had taken a terrible form, one that mirrored a humanoid shape but was far from natural. Unlike your kin, who adhered to the common rules of appearance, your form distorted reality itself. You had no face, only several eyes scattered across your being, each one watching, judging, and seeing all at once. The sight of you was horrifying, an embodiment of the terror you were meant to guide and control.
- Melkor attempted to strike you, but you vanished as if you had never been there. The world around him warped in response to your presence, and then, countless eyes—your eyes—emerged from every corner of the room. They appeared in the walls, on the floors, in the very air around him, all watching, unblinking, relentless.
-A wave of indescribable terror consumed him, and in a frantic frenzy, he swung his weapon at the eyes, desperately trying to destroy them. But for every eye he destroyed, another would take its place, as though his very attempts to fight back only fed into your power.
- In his frenzy, Melkor lashed out at what he believed were your creations, viciously striking them with all his might. But as the haze of his terror cleared and he looked around, he realized that the creatures he had attacked were not yours—they were his own Maiar servants. Some lay dead at his feet, victims of his blind rage.
- Everything became clear, and he was told he had attacked them like he had gone mad. It was not only him but many others who attacked their own in madness. Utumnno had fallen into complete disarray, and many had been killed or been left hollow, unable to even muster coherent words.
- You then appeared again, with everything distorting into the nightmare you had designed for him. Only he could see you, as his servants did not react to you.
- Melkor froze in fear as you leaned closer to him.
- “My servant has been safely retrieved and returned home. However, I want you to remember and think of this moment for the rest of your wretched life. Everything that has happened here was because of your choice. You had a choice to avoid this outcome, and you didn’t take it. You allowed this to happen,” you said, your voice resonating with voices of thralls he had once tormented.
- You gave him a warning to never come after your people again unless he wants a second visit from you, and then you left.
- From that day forth, Melkor has known nothing but terror toward you. You have shown your power over nightmares and that you will keep your word if he crosses you again. His attempts to uncover your realm's secrets ceased, and you had instilled something in him that he both hated and saw as his means of survival: Fear.
